president george w. bush will this morning on "early today" giving thanks. a special time of year as americans gather for holiday traditions. a parent's worst nightmare. a carjacking suspect in missouri drives off with a baby as the mother holds on for dear life. and saving our polar bears. what's now being done to help a dwindling population. captions paid for by nbc-universal television hello and good morning. happy thanksgiving. welcome to our viewers across the nation, including the pacific time zone. i'm lip berry and today we begin with turkey traditions and to

get ready to break bread with your loved ones on this thanksgiving day. the spirit of the season is in full swing around the country and the world. in washington, d.c., yesterday the first family handed out turkey dinners with all the trimmings and earlier in the day mr. obama granted the annual presidential pardon as he set free a pair of turkeys, joking that it felt good to stop at least one shellacking this november. hundreds of soldiers and their family members were treated to a feast which included more than 4,000 pounds of turkey. and this morning the men and women were all thankful for nearly 150,000 troops overseas in iraq and afghanistan are getting a taste of the holiday spirit eating a full thanksgiving dinner complete with turkey, sweet potatoes and of course the pie. and thanksgiving wouldn't be thanksgiving without the macy's parade. this year there are some newcomers in the crowd. michelle franzen is scoping out the route here in new york city.

michelle, good morning, and happy thanksgiving to you. >> reporter: happy thanksgiving, lynn. a lot of activity going on behind the scenes before this parade kicks off behind me. you can see a lot of the balloon handlers and crews doing their warmup exercises. it will be a long, grueling haul, about a three-mile trek down to macy's herald square this morning, so they're gearing up for that. of course the big giant helium balloons are the centerpiece of this parade. let's take an overhead live look at what that is shaping up to be. these large balloons, 15 in all, wrapping themselves around the block this morning. as you mentioned, a few new balloons, two of them making their debut this morning. kung fu panda and diary of a wimpy kid. along with the balloons, there will be 27 floats, 12 marching hands from high schools around the country. you've got about 10,000 volunteers in all, many of them macy's employees. of course the spectators that are just starting to come out at

this hour. three and a half million, lynn, are expected to line this route and another 50 million watching from home as they get ready to celebrate this thanksgiving. >> michelle franzen in new york. michelle, thanks so much. of course you can watch our special coverage of the macy's thanksgiving day parade hosted by matt lauer, meredith vieira and al roker beginning at 9:00 a.m. right here on this nbc station. well, now here's a look at some other stories making news early today in america. in missouri, police are looking for a suspect who tried to steal a car with a 6-month-old baby inside. surveillance video shows the man approach the vehicle, which was left running with the baby strapped in the back. when the suspect backs out, the terrified mom sprints towards the car and ends up getting dragged for several feet. eventually the dad caught up with the carjacker who then ran off. aside from a few cuts and bruises, no one was hurt. in california, 150 firefighters battled massive flames that engulfed a furniture

manufacturing plant. officials aren't sure what started the fire, but say two explosions were heard. at least one firefighter was hospitalized with heat exhaustion. in west virginia, a hearing is scheduled for high school football players suspended after allegedly taking part in a playoff brawl. it threatened to cripple the team but some of the players won a court order allowing them to play. and in new york a man tested what he thought was the perfect solution to enhanced airport screening by showing up for his flight in boxers. he says he was just trying to speed up security lines, which were expected to be backed up with tons of passengers refusing to go through full body scanners. well, despite all that media hype, national opt-out day turned out to be a bust. and now for a look at your national and regional weather, here's the fully clothed nbc meteorologist bill karins with the weather channel forecast. >> that was my idea originally.

>> i'm glad that we opted out of that idea and stuck with just the traditional -- >> right. you guys are lucky i worked because then you didn't see me do that. happy thanksgiving to you, lynn. >> you too, bill. how's the weather out there? >> not bad. it could be worse, i think. temperatures are very cold, though, so that's the only problem. we don't have much bad weather to travel through on the west coast. if you're flying today, the only trouble spots are back in the ohio valley from pittsburgh to cleveland all the way back up into detroit. but the west coast is looking just fine. as i mentioned, it's just very cold on the heels of that big storm that we had two days ago. you notice we have clear skies throughout much of utah, nevada, california. that cold front going through arizona even produced some snow last night at the higher elevations in the mountains, so this cold blast has sunk all the way down to the border there with mexico. now, the next storm system is trying to move into the pacific northwest and over the next day or two it's going to be slow moving. we are watching snow from

bellingham down to seattle. temperatures will warm up at the lower elevations but this morning we could get a half inch to an inch so be careful driving on interstate 5 early today. the temperature right now is only 29 in seattle, so it's still very cold. those temperatures are down to the 20s all the way to medford. at least they're a little warmer than your friends back here. look at salt lake city and poisy. even in vegas this morning it's down to 33 degrees. at least with the sun today we'll get up to the 50s and 40s through vegas and much of california. it's up in the pacific northwest that we have to watch out for a little winter precip early today on your thanksgiving. that's a look we're going to give you your friday shopping forecast coming up next. >> all right, bill, thanks so much. also coming up, data to be

thankful for. the fda puts energy cocktails on notice, and the extreme sport of black friday. plus, when it comes to the infamous ambush at the vmas, rapper kanye west just can't seem to let it go. also lebron james and the heat pulling the wrong end of the wishbone. shaq gets an extra helping of stuffing, plus derek jeter and the yankees are not sitting together this thanksgiving. you're watching "early today."

good morning and welcome back to "early today." south korea's president is vowing to beef up security around the island where north korea launched a deadly artillery attack this week. the north, which claimed south korean artillery exercises prompted the assault, warned washington that it should thoroughly control south korea.

meanwhile china, who is seen as crucial in dealing with north korea is asking both sides to show maximum restraint. the u.s. is set to hold joint military exercises with south korea this weekend. former house majority leader tom delay faces up to life in prison after being convicted of money laundering and conspiracy charges. prosecutors say delay illegally funneled tens of thousands of dollars in corporate donations into texas legislative races. delay plans to appeal. sources tell nbc news that pentagon officials are concerned about what may be the biggest and most damaging document released yet by the whistleblower website wikileaks. officials are bracing for the publication of hundreds of thousands of internal u.s. government cables revealing private communications with foreign governments. the release could happen this weekend. the drug enforcement agency is taking emergency action on synthetic pot by working toward

outlawing the five chemicals used to make it. the agency says it has received an increasing number of reports of medical problems, including seizures and hallucinations. and in an effort to save the polar bear population, the obama administration is setting aside 187,000 square miles in alaska as critical habitat. the move could also add restrictions to future offshore drilling in the area. the u.s. markets are closed today for the thanksgiving holiday, but here's a look at how things ended yesterday. the dow closed at 11,187 after adding 150 points. the s&p climbed 17 points and the nasdaq went up 48. taking a look at overseas trading this morning. in tokyo the nikkei rose 49 points while in hong kong the hang seng gained 30. thanks to signs of strength in the economy, investors left behind tuesday's global woes and welcomed a much more cheerful day of trade going into

thanksgiving. hopes were high yesterday for a happy holiday shopping season after news that u.s. incomes rose and consumer spending was up for a fifth straight month. amazon.com rode the day's optimism to an all-time high after climbing 5%. meanwhile new jobless claims hit a two-year low and a private survey of consumer sentiment hit its highest level since june. in light of all the upbeat data, less than stellar reports on manufacturing and new home sales were largely dismissed. tiffany & company expects to ring in the new year with strong sales here at home and overseas. shares shot up 5%. elsewhere, federal officials have arrested don chu, an executive at a so-called expert network firm that provides market intelligence to hedge funds. the first arrest in what is expected to be a widespread case of insider trading. boeing has said a recent fire on board a test flight of its 787 dreamliner was probably sparked by debris in an

electrical panel. it will hold up delivery again for the long-delayed luxury jets. the food and drug administration has notified four major brands of those controversial alcoholic energy drinks that they are unsafe. according to the fda, the drinks should be off shelves by immediate december. if you thought you were going to be first in line at best buy next friday, think again. diehard bargain hunters have been camped outside the electronics store from oregon to florida for more than a week. online shopping, it's always an option. well, unranked uconn looks unbeatable. derek jeter in red sox? and the miami heat are mia. meanwhile lebron james's old team seems to be doing just fine without him. your early morning sports headlines are straight ahead. in weather, coming up a recap of your thanksgiving forecast and of course a peek at your shopping friday forecast. you're watching "early today."

good morning. if you're just waking up, this is "early today." in sports prior to this season people were talking dynasty about the miami heat. now they're talking about the team's slow start. here's mario solis with an early look at all your sports headlines. good morning and happy thanksgiving. it is not exactly a happy holiday for the miami heat.

they have got everything they thought they'd need to feast on the nba. lebron james, dwyane wade, chris bosh, but right now they're starving for wins in south beach. the heat visiting the magic. third quarter, wade, what was that? flash throws up an air ball in the spirit of thanksgiving. i bet a few fans called him a turkey. in the fourth, orlando nursing a lead. hits the three from the corner, magic over the heat 104-95. miami has lost three straight falling to 8-7. meantime lebron's old team helping themselves to a win over milwaukee. mo williams hits the game winner at the buzzer. just like old times in ohio, huh, lebron? speaking of old times, shaquille o'neal flashing back to the shaq of old. he brings the stuffing and the yams, i mean jams. most points he scored since march of '09. the basketball finals of the maui invitational. kentucky and uconn huskies go on

a 22-1 run to end the half. connect upset kentucky 84-67. on the ice in new york, islanders are the turkeys of the league right now. in overtime against columbus, jake -- jakub voracek scores the game winner. and in baseball, derek jeter's future in new york is uncertain with the yankees encouraging the free agent to test the market. while yankee fans don't want to see him go, they definitely do not want to see him wearing a red sox uniform. i guess that's the "new york post's" way of telling the yankees to sign jeter and count their blessings. three nfl games for tury day. have a great day of football, food and family. that's an early look at sports for today. i'm mario solis. a children's favorite goes viral in his quest to host snl. your early morning entertainment headlines are straight ahead. even though moms don't like it, it's always more fun to play

with your food. you're watching "early today."

welcome back. alaska yesterday and the last couple days had miserable weather, a lot of freezing rain problems in between fairbanks and anchorage. today not quite as bad but there's still snow in the southern portion of the state. juneau looks okay with just rain.

moisture streaming down from british columbia is arriving right now in seattle and bellingham. there's snow, it's plenty cold enough. later it will turn over to rain but this morning we could pick up an inch or two. portland just some showers late day for you today. the rest of the deep south or all portions of the southwest look like it's going to be sunny but chilly. it's a cold day, cold weekend too. highs on friday only 50 in vegas, starting to warm up a little bit in phoenix. you notice the pacific northwest still messy even tomorrow. if you're watching on nbc 7/39 san diego, california, it's known as the crown jewel of jazz festivals. listen to a wide variety of music at the 31st annual san diego thanksgiving dixieland jazz festival. that's your pacific event of the day. >> all right, bill, thanks so much. now here's an early look at this morning's headlines in entertainment. kanye west is turning the tables on his infamous interruption of taylor swift's acceptance speech at the vmas. the rapper went on a nine-minute rant during a concert in new york city blasting swift for

riding a wave of publicity and not coming to his defense. john travolta and kelly preston welcomed an eight pound, three ounce baby boy named benjamin. this comes nearly two years after the tragic death of their 16-year-old son, jett, from a seizure. two months after announcing their split, the wife of george lopez has filed for divorce citing irreconcilable differences. angelina jolie is reportedly boycotting thanksgiving. a friend says the actress refuses to celebrate the domination of white settlers and wants no part in rewriting history. and finally, cookie monster has posted an online video on youtube saying me want snl. the sesame street muppet wants to branch out beyond cookie eating. the video includes a monologue, sketches, weekend update jokes and a performance by munste munster gaga. must-see tv. >> i wonder if they have ever

done anything like that. they have had skits with things like that, but an actual host? >> i don't think so. that sounds like a dare. >> it would be really challenging technically. this comes from wlwt news 5 in cincinnati, ohio, where folks have a different way of celebrating thanksgiving. by busting out their bowling shoes. as a part of this city's annual turkey day festivities, those looking to give back can take part in frozen turkey bowling. to participate, all you need is $5 and two canned goods and all the donations benefit a charity which provides food and shelter to the homeless. obviously the most important thing around this holiday season. >> lynn, here's your big moment. in bowling you get three strikes in a row. what's it called? it's called a turkey. >> there you go, bill. did you think of that all day? i'm lynn berry and this is first look on "early today" just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

a group of artists bundle up to prepare for one very cool exhibit. in belgium, artists are showing off their arctic artwork for an upcoming ice sculpture festival. chain saws and chisels were used to carve out frosty renditions of famous places and people, like elvis and madonna. the exhibit consists of 300 tons of ice, which has been kept in a below freezing tent. here's a t-shirt you won't be able to try on for size. this six-ton "t" earned a guinness world record. at 79 yards long, it had to be laid out on a soccer field and measured for accuracy. the massive sewing job isn't just for bragging rights, qatar

hopes the win earns them consideration as host of the next world cup. the cost of one bottle of tequila is definitely hard to swallow. that's because this bottle unveiled in mexico will hit the auction block for a cool $3.5 million. why? well, the hand made platinum bottle is studded with over 4,000 diamonds. the blinged-out booze took four years to make and is filled with a top quality, aged tequila that no one will probably drink because it's $3.5 million. >> i don't want to stereotype you or anything, but i'm not thinking that you're a tequila girl. >> i'm not a tequila girl. >> i can tell. >> i think you might be a tequila guy, though. >> maybe back in the day. time for an early look at some of the stories we'll follow throughout the day here on nbc. president obama and the first lady will be spending thanksgiving together at the white house, while the biden family continues their tradition of enjoying the holiday on the massachusetts island of nantucket.

not everyone will be off for thanksgiving. some retailers, including gap and k-mart are breaking with tradition and will be open throughout the day. toys r us will be opening its doors tonight for early bird black friday shoppers. and as we told you about earlier, don't forget to tune into the macy's thanksgiving day parade. it kicks off at 9:00 a.m. on this nbc station. all day long, you can stay on top of the very latest developments in those stories and others as they break on msnbc. tonight be sure to watch brian williams with nbc nightly news. finally here's a look at what's coming up later this morning on the "today" show. lester holt is live in afghanistan with a progress report on the war and a special family reunion for one mother stationed overseas. and matt lauer goes one-on-one with basketball superstar lebron james. and now keep it on this channel for continuing local news, weather, sports and more. i'm lynn berry. thanks for watching "early today," just your first stop of the day today on your nbc station.

happy thanksgiving and have a good one. -- captions by vitac -- www.vitac.com